


The Heart Knows What's Right

by Drachesoul



Category: Glee, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drachesoul/pseuds/Drachesoul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kingdom Hearts/Glee crossover. When the Heartless and Unversed team up, so do Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Ven, and Terra. They are told to travel to a world where twelve pure hearts reside and to protect them from the Heartless and Unversed. Little do they know that their charges are more than capable of taking care of themselves...and they won't go down without a fight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Mission

**Author's Note:**

> Contains several OC characters, seeing as this was originally written for a friend. Slightly AU cosidering I messed with the timeline so that the six wielders could meet each other.

"Ven, wake up!" Ventus opened his eyes and stared blearily back at his two best friends, Aqua and Terra. He yawned and stretched, his lithe frame working out the kinks in his back, courtesy of falling asleep by the training fields again. "Aqua, Terra, what're you guys doing here?"

Terra offered his hand, which the younger boy took gratefully, dusting himself off. He had a habit of dozing off up here, surrounded by gorgeous mountain peaks, and at night, by millions of bright stars. "Master Eraqus told us to find you. He wants us to meet him in the Main Hall as quickly as possible."

Aqua chimed in, "And we knew you had to be around here somewhere!" She ruffled Ven's hair, a sign of affection that she rarely showed to anyone outside of their trio. "It sounded important too." She looked back down the winding trail that would lead them back to the castle. "We should probably get going."

Ven nodded and followed Terra and Aqua back to the castle, wondering what in the worlds could be so important that the Master wanted all three of them present for.

XXX

The three Keyblade wielders walked into the Main Hall and immediately bowed in respect to the man standing at the front, who was steadfastly ignoring them, and talking to a portal behind his chair. "Master Eraqus, you wanted to see us?" Aqua asked, always the polite one. She claimed to be the manners of the group, what with both of the boys' tendencies to hit things first and apologize later.

Their Master was an older man, with streaks of gray running through his black hair, but he was far from feeble. He still regularly defeated his pupils in sparring matches, proving his strength and agility. A frown marred his usually thoughtful face as he waved at the portal, muttering under his breath. He seemed slightly surprised when he noticed his students, clearing his throat and ushering them to sit down in some chairs that he conjured.

"Ah, yes, thank you for coming." He gestured to the portal behind him. "I wanted you all here because we are about to welcome some very important guests to our Hall. They will be helping us with a quite important matter before they leave." The portal started to glow, and the three apprentice's eyes glowed with excitement. It was a rare thing to get visitors from other worlds, so they relished every chance they got to meet new people.

The first person to step out had spiky brown hair not unlike Ven's, though it was markedly different. Wearing a set of clothes that matched perfectly and a huge grin, the boy shot a thumbs-up to the trio. "Hi, I'm Sora. I heard that we were gonna be working together, and I'm really excited." He glanced at Aqua and winked at her, causing the blue-haired girl to blush profusely.

"Sora, don't scare them off with your overly charming attitude, it doesn't make for a very good first impression," sighed another voice. The portal flashed again and another boy, this time with shaggy silver hair and piercing light blue eyes made his way through. "Name's Riku, and while I'm happy to be teammates with you, don't expect me to be cheerful about it. Sora's got more than enough happiness for the both of us." He offered a hand to Terra, recognizing him as the leader of their group and a small smile graced his features when the tall brunette reciprocated, shaking his hand in return.

All Aqua could think about at the moment was if there was another girl on this new team. She was tired of being the only girl around, and desperately wanted another female to talk to. Not that she minded Terra and Ven, after all, they were like brothers to her and she loved them, but there were some things that she wanted a girl to talk to about. Her wish was granted as the last figure stepped through the portal and a melodious voice scolded the two newcomers.

"Riku, Sora, could you possibly be a bit more…I don't know, idiotic? Neither of those approaches would make a very good first impression." A girl with red-brown hair and an annoyed expression walked up next to her teammates, as she lightly whacked them both upside the head.

"Geez, Kairi, ya didn't have to hit us," Sora groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He at least had the decency to look rebuffed as he looked sheepishly at his shoes. Riku simply sighed, the glancing blow not affecting him in the least.

The other team's girl, Kairi, strolled straight up to Aqua and shyly offered her hand. "I know we just met and I don't even know your name yet, but can I just say that I'm so glad to meet another girl?" Aqua grinned and shook hands, giddy with excitement.

"I'm sorry, where are our manners?" she gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. "My name is Aqua." She pointed to the boys. "And this is Terra," the tall brunette nodded in greeting, "And Ventus."

Sora and Ventus seemed to have hit it off already and were laughing together. "You can call me Ven," he said proudly.

Kairi giggled. "I think you probably know our names by now, but I'm Kairi. Pleased to meet you. My teammates are Sora and Riku."

Master Eraqus, who everyone thought had left the room, cleared his throat again. The room fell silent as he conjured three more chairs and motioned for the others to sit.

"Now, I hope everyone is acquainted with each other. We have a very important matter to discuss, and very little time to explain before you have to leave." Sora, Riku and Kairi looked expectantly at the Master while Terra, Aqua and Ven just looked confused.

"I don't know exactly how much Mickey has told you three, so I'll start with the basics. The Heartless and Unversed are starting to return and they have done so magnificently. They seem to be teaming up, something I would've thought impossible even days ago. Masters Mickey, Yen Sid and I have decided to bring you six together to combat this new threat. Sora, Riku and Kairi have experience fighting the Heartless and all of their forms, as do you three with the Unversed," he said, gesturing to his students.

"But this time, they seem to be gaining power far more rapidly than they did before." An older voice rumbled as a tall man with a long, gray beard materialized in front of them. He seemed to exude a powerful aura, and the six teens immediately stood up and bowed.

"Master Yen Sid," they murmured in unison.

"As I was saying, their power is growing exponentially and you are going to need a lot of help if you plan on stopping them." Waving a hand, a virtual map of the worlds popped into existence. "We have detected twelve pure hearts that have the power of the Keyblade, though it is currently dormant within their souls. It is your job to locate them before the Heartless and Unversed do and bring them safely back here to train them."

"Master, where can we find them?" asked Terra, examining the map. "There are a lot of worlds out there and they could be anywhere."

Master Eraqus interrupted, "That, unfortunately, was the easiest part. They are all located in this world," he pointed to one on the far edge of the map, nearly intertwined with several other large parallel dimensions. "You must go to Lima, Ohio and befriend these other teenagers. Protect them with all of your powers until you can make it back here."

Something suddenly dawned on Riku's face and he glared at both Masters. "Wait, does this mean what I think it means? Please tell me that we don't have to—" Eraqus and Yen Sid nodded. "Son of a—"

"Don't even say it," growled Kairi, and she slapped a hand over his mouth, muffling his language. Riku wriggled his way out from under the girl's hand.

"But I don't want to go back!" he whined. "Wasn't the first time through bad enough?"

Ventus tugged on Aqua's shirt. "What's he complaining about?"

Aqua shook her head. "I have no idea. But it couldn't have been anything good, judging by the way he's whining."

Yen Sid silenced them all with a gaze. "Yes, Riku. You and your teammates, along with Ventus, Terra and Aqua are going to enroll in McKinley High School. You start tomorrow." And with that he disappeared, the portal that sent the three to the Hall dissipating with a hiss and a bright flash.

By now, all six of the teens were on their feet, arguing with Master Eraqus about the unfairness of it all. The older man sighed and massaged his temples. He felt a headache coming on and a massive one at that. He knew that they wouldn't take the news very well. Despite their overall loyalty and teamwork, high school wasn't a place where any of them had felt comfortable at, and he hoped that this wouldn't bring them to mutiny.

"Now, my students, I know that this wasn't exactly what you were expecting when we informed you about the mission, but believe me when I say that it is of the utmost importance. Before I dismiss you to make your preparations, please consider that though you didn't have the best times in high school, these people are going to have to leave all of their friends and family to join our fight, so try not to be too…unfriendly." The six of them seemed to have calmed down by now, though Eraqus assumed that it was just resignation to the task ahead. They would go to McKinley High, no doubt about that, but whether or not they would be able to put past memories behind them was another issue entirely. They resumed chatting to each other within a few seconds, all thoughts of an argument forgotten, and he decided that it was time to dismiss them from the Hall.

He walked to the other side of the room and ushered his students through the tall oak-paneled doors. Sora was telling Ven about his best memories of high school, while Aqua and Kairi were giggling with each other, recounting stories about crushes and fashion, something he never thought he'd hear Aqua talking about.

Terra and Riku merely stalked outside, following their teammates, no doubt brooding about their upcoming mission. Eraqus knew from experience with Terra and information from Yen Sid about Riku, that both boys had an alpha personality and were quite protective over the others, something that could prove to be a problem between them or be their saving grace.

As the doors shut solidly behind them, Eraqus wondered briefly, "What have I gotten myself into?" He stared at a picture of his students defeating a monstrous Unversed outside of the castle. Six months ago they soundly destroyed the Trinity Armor Unversed without so much as breaking a sweat. This time would be different, and even he wasn't certain of his students' abilities. "I blame you for this," he said, glaring petulantly at the Unversed.

The Keyblade wielders outside laid in a circle, near where Ven had been training earlier, heads in the center and feet sprawled all over the place. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" they all muttered.

"We must be crazy to go back to high school," Terra shook his head.

"I loved high school," Sora disagreed. "It was so interesting, with all of the drama and rumors."

"Speak for yourself," retorted Riku, playing with a few blades of grass. "I could've done without high school in general."

"I've never been to high school," Ven pouted. He would have started this year had it not been for all of the training demands. He was just too busy for high school, though Aqua and Terra still taught him on weekends.

"Believe me Ven, you don't want to go to high school," Aqua piped up. She shuddered. "It was horrible."

"But there were a lot of cute boys," Kairi said, poking Aqua in the shoulder as they dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"I guess you're right," Aqua acquiesced. "Well there's no use getting out of it now, we start tomorrow." She looked over towards her new teammates—no, her new friends, and sighed.

"I wonder if their world will be different than ours when it comes to high school," Sora wondered.

"Tch, it better be, I'm not facing that hellhole again without there being some changes," Riku snorted, closing his eyes and letting the warm sun and light wind shine down on him. "This is our last day of freedom, so let's hope we find these new Keyblade Wielders fast. The sooner we find them the sooner we can escape." He summoned his Keyblade and held it straight up in the air. Five others soon followed.

"McKinley High School, here we come!"

XXX

Rachel Barbra Berry was not known for her patience. In fact, she was rather annoyed at the minute. Here she was, trying to explain to Principal Figgins about the importance of a drug and alcohol free high school career, when all of a sudden she was booted unceremoniously out of his office. Figgins had claimed that he needed to get ready to meet some new transfer students.

I don't care if he has more important things to do. I will wait right here until he's done. She tapped her foot impatiently, hugging her book bag close to her chest.

The bell signaling the end of first period rung shrilly throughout the halls of McKinley High. Oh no, I can't be late for next period. What if there's a test? All thoughts of barging back into the principal's office flew out of her head as she contemplated just coming back later. She wouldn't mar her near-perfect attendance and work record for this. As she turned on her heel and made to leave, she saw a small pack of teenagers cautiously navigating the swell of students.

They were unlike any of the other students she has seen before. One of the girls had blue hair, and it actually looked natural. She was whispering to another girl with reddish-brown hair. The four boys that were flanking the two girls looked rather protective, and…well, attractive.

Her body wasn't listening to her anymore as it walked out of the office. "Um, excuse me, but are you lost? You seem to be looking for someplace." She could feel herself grow weak as the group of new kids looked at her.

The smallest one with spiky brown hair and a friendly smile spoke up. "Yeah, actually, we're looking for Principal Figgins' office. We just transferred here and we need our schedules and stuff."

"Oh, so you're the new students. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Rachel Berry, star of Glee Club and future EGOT winner."

They all looked slightly confused at this statement, but shrugged it off. "My name is Ven," the youngest boy said. "Me and my…siblings aren't from around here."

"You're all siblings?" Rachel couldn't help but ask. While they all shared certain personality traits that could've identified them as related, she couldn't see anything that pegged them as siblings. They looked nothing alike.

"I know, I know, we look nothing alike, am I right?" this statement came from the boy with silver hair and a permanent scowl on his face. "We're all adopted. I'm Riku." He pointed down the rest of the line. "The tall one's Terra, and the one with weird gravity-defying hair is Sora. You've already met Ven and our sisters are Aqua and Kairi."

"Well, it truly is a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope we can talk later. I should probably get to class…oh! Why don't you six come to glee club after school? It's a great way to get to know some of the others, and I'm sure you'll make some friends."

"Thanks for the offer, Rachel but I think we're going to—" Riku was cut off by a smack to the back of the head.

"Riku, don't be like that. I like Glee Club," admonished Sora. "Don't listen to him, we'll be there after school."

Rachel dug a piece of paper from her bag. "Great. Here's a rough map of the school. We're here right now, and the choir room is right over there, past the principal's office and next to the auditorium. See you later," she said as she walked off. Oh yes, Riku and Terra were definitely attractive. Never before had she been glad that she was single. Even Finn couldn't compare to that boy's striking blue eyes.

"Bye," they all replied with varying degrees of sincerity.

"Well, that was certainly something," remarked Aqua. "We haven't even officially started yet and we've already been invited to join a club."

"I'm not so sure about glee club," Kairi said worryingly. "When I went to high school, they weren't very popular, and its members got bullied a lot."

Ven frowned thoughtfully. "Oh! Why don't we just join more popular clubs first and then stop by Glee Club after school for a minute."

"Great idea, Ven. We'll cement our social status first and then join Glee." Sora gave his new friend a high-five.

"Actually, I just wanted to join their track team." Ven smiled. "But okay, that works too."

Principal Figgins poked his head out of the office. "Ah, you must be the new transfer students. Come inside, please, and we'll get you started." He beckoned them forward.

They all gathered up their things and walked into the office with the Principal. "There was something about that girl," mentioned Terra. "I could feel her light. I think she might be one of the people we're supposed to be looking after."

"I felt it too," said Aqua. "Why don't we get through the day and ask her about it later. Who knows, she might lead us to the others."

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you would please step into my office," Figgins called from his office.

"Oh, coming!" They all replied. This was shaping up to be a whole new experience for them. 

XXX

"Okay, if I am to understand correctly, Terra and Riku are entering as seniors," Principal Figgins had pulled up some folding chairs from one of the classrooms for them to sit on and was perusing the paperwork that Master Eraqus had forged—er, sent to the school. "It goes on to say that Aqua and Kairi will be joining as juniors, Sora as a sophomore and Ventus as a freshman."

They all nodded, though Sora was a little miffed that he would be a sophomore. He was old enough to be a senior, but no, he was back to being a lowerclassman. He wondered for a moment why his mentors would make such a move. Oh, now that he thought about it, there were a few reasons. He chuckled to himself.

Principal Figgins on the other hand was wondering why the new children had such strange names. Ventus, Aqua, Riku, Kairi? Perhaps their parents were hippies. Yes, that would explain the names and why they seemed to be so uncomfortable in their clothes. Probably used to those organic, biodegradable environmentally friendly clothes.

In an effort to blend themselves in, the six teenagers had used some of the money given by their Masters to go shopping. Rather, Aqua, Sora and Kairi took the other boys' measurements and went shopping for them. The end result wasn't bad at all, though a passerby could notice the degree of uncertainty they possessed if they were keeping a close eye on them.

Keeping in style with the clothes they left behind, Ventus merely traded in his shirt for a solid black one size too small and a pair of less noticeable sneakers, opting to keep the pants he was fond of. Kairi said it would make his lithe form look more appealing to the others, but he just felt a little more exposed than he usually would. Who on Earth would willingly wear clothes this tight. He asked Aqua and she just said that if he didn't want to become the school's newest freak he should be willing to show some abs.

Aqua and Kairi looked for all the world like normal preppy high school students, complete with designer outfits and matching bright eyed expressions. Their new clothes made them look like they had walked straight out of a fashion magazine, and it wasn't until the boys were moving the rest of their belongings into the small house they rented that they realized that their clothes had actually come out of a magazine. Out of all of them, Aqua and Kairi seemed to be the two that had easily adjusted to their temporary lifestyle.

Riku had adamantly stated that he wasn't changing anything about his appearance without approving it first. He settled for a new black hoodie that had blue streaks along the front and back that was the exact same shade as his eyes. Even he had to admit it looked good when paired with faded black jeans and a chain wallet. Oh yeah, I can rock the hot skater jock look.

Sora tried to tame his unruly hair, but in the end just gave up and let it return to its normal spiky self. He kept his shorts but traded the yellow bands for white ones and a band t-shirt. He would rock the drummer look and all the ladies would run after him. He had some stiff competition though, if you compared him to Terra.

Terra's clothes had changed the most dramatically. Kairi said that as the oldest and the tallest he should go for the super hot look. Until he got placed on a school team and got a letterman, he would stick with a leather jacket, white button up shirt that didn't go far to reveal his body, and a loose red tie. His jeans were also black, with rips "artistically" placed at the left thigh, knees and right calf.

Principal Figgins cleared his throat and pointed to some of the things on his transfer papers. "It says here, Terra, that you and Riku were football players at your old school?" What? Where did that statement come from? Master Eraqus…

The two boys just nodded, resigned to the fact that they would have to be jocks this time around.

"Aqua, Kairi, you two were volleyball players?"

"Actually, I was the volleyball player. Kairi was a cheerleader." By now, Aqua had caught on to her master's idea and she planned to milk it for all it was worth. If they had a volleyball player, two football players and a cheerleader on their side before the school day ended then they would shoot their way up the twisted social ladder in high school in no time.

Principal Figgins looked over the paperwork again, "Miss Kairi, it doesn't say you were a cheerleader. Would you mind telling me what position you held?"

Catching Aqua's impassioned expression, the brunette sighed wearily and condemned herself to wearing her hair up in a tight ponytail and flaunting herself in those ridiculously short skirts. However, she had heard rumors about this school's coach already, and it didn't sound like a sport that people here would willingly participate in.

"I used to be one of the school's best flyers, but I also doubled as a tumbler when the situation called for it."

Figgins just stared blankly at Kairi. He had absolutely no idea what she had just said, but it sounded professional enough. "Very good. I shall set you up with a meeting with our cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester. It is she who will decide if you make the team."

Aqua cheered internally. It wasn't that big of an accomplishment, fooling the principal. She had a feeling that he would believe almost anything. Of course, it did help that Kairi was indeed a cheerleader back at Destiny High. Out of all of them, she was the only one who had gained popularity and respect the first time around. Volleyball players at Destiny High weren't nearly as popular as they seemed to be here. She heard her name being called and turned her attention back towards their new principal.

"As for you, Aqua, your volleyball career is indeed quite distinguished. You were the team's libero, am I correct?" The blue-haired girl nodded bluntly. She had also brought her team to three consecutive championships, but hell, who was counting?

"Yes, sir. I specialize in back court defense. Together, our team brought home three championships in a row." She figured this fact would assure her a place on the team, and a moment later, she was proved correct.

"Well, then it would be rude not to introduce you to our team. They hold their bi-weekly meetings in about a half-hour, during third period. You can find them in the gym." Score.

Figgins jotted down that particular note on her file, closed it, and stashed it away with those of the rest of the student body. "As for the remaining two gentlemen, unless you have anything else to say, you may go to your classes now. I have arranged your schedules so that at least for the time being, you will always have the same lunch period and classes with at least one other."

Waving his hand as a gesture of dismissal, Sora and Ven backed out of the office and walked together to their first class. "Kairi, give this note to Becky, Sue's secretary of sorts that sits outside her office, and she will meet with you. Riku, Terra, there will be tryouts for the team during lunch, which I suggest you attend. Finally, Aqua, the volleyball team is meeting in a few minutes and they'd probably enthusiastically welcome you."

They all turned to leave, and Principal Figgins cleared his throat one last time. "Oh, and I am not certain how things went at your old school, but things here at McKinley can become quite…animalistic at times. There is a hierarchy here that most students think me oblivious to, and I am happy to keep up this façade, if only to warn newcomers about it."

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Aqua asked.

Figgins merely pointed at where Sora and Ven went a moment ago. "Watch out for those two, especially the taller one with a band shirt. While you four have varsity sports on your side, they have no such protection against bullies."

Riku gazed out at the halls of McKinley. He would protect Sora and Kairi to the very ends of the earth, that he had promised. Though he hadn't made such a promise to his new teammates, he felt a strange sense of protectiveness when it came to them.

Surprisingly though, it was Terra who answered. "If they touch either Ven or Sora, they'll answer to me." The other three quickly agreed.

Principal Figgins looked at the newest students to McKinley High and immediately knew that they would have nothing to fear. Their bonds were, he thought, strong enough to tackle the social ladder of McKinley. He had absolutely nothing to worry about.


	2. Meet the Twelve

The six of them didn't meet up again until right after school. By then, Aqua, Riku and Terra were sporting lettermans and Kairi was decked out in the red and white uniform of the Cheerios, hair done up in a ridiculously tight ponytail.

Sora took one look at Kairi and burst out laughing. "Wow, Kairi, I never thought I'd see you in a cheerleading uniform again. Exactly how short is that skirt again?"

Ignoring the jab, Kairi merely flipped him off and adjusted her ponytail. It wasn't easy getting Sue Sylvester to let her join the team mid-season. She'd had to prove her worth running suicides and laps before being told to execute every move she knew. In the end the irate coach had let her join grudgingly, handing her a uniform and telling her that while she was certain that a toddler could do better than she could, she'd do for now.

Upon walking out of the office with a Cheerios uniform, people began purposefully moving out of her way and apologizing to her profusely for the smallest of things, like accidentally walking too close to her or for blocking the congested hallways. A few minutes later she had met a girl named Brittany by her locker, also in a Cheerios uniform.

"You must be the newest Cheerio. You must be really, really good, 'cause Coach Sylvester never takes anyone after tryouts."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I'm Kairi, nice to meet you."

"I'm Brittany. Ooh, you should come with me." Without waiting for a response, she had grabbed Kairi by the hand and bounced off towards three other people loitering near another row of lockers, two cheerleaders and a female jock.

"Hey, Britt-Britt," said one, a fiery looking Latina, bringing the other girl in close for a chaste kiss. Her smile faltered when she met Kairi's gaze. "What are you looking at? Yes, I'm gay, so if you have a fucking problem with that then get lost."

Kairi shook her head vehemently. "No, of course I don't have a problem with that." She was slightly frightened of the girl standing protectively in front of Brittany. 

The girl jock slapped the Latina upside the head. "Santi, be nice. There's no need to be a bitch to everyone. Hi, I'm Olivia, Santana's cousin," she said, pointing at the now grumbling cheerleader, who was cursing under her breath. Out of all of them, save for Brittany, Olivia looked the friendliest. She seemed to be the polar opposite of the taller Latina. 

The quiet blonde cheerleader was busy looking Kairi up and down. Looking satisfied, she said, "I'm Quinn Fabray, captain of the Cheerios. I don't know why Coach let you join, so you must be either really famous or really good." 

"Well I don't know her, so she must be really good," Brittany pointed out in the way only Brittany could do.

"I'll be the judge of that, Brit, but thank you for pointing that out." Quinn's voice seemed to take on a softer edge when it came to the other blonde. Kairi determined that all four of them were rather close to each other.

"Now that you mention it, why did Brittany drag you over here?" asked Olivia. 

"Because she's new and she's obviously related to the other new students, right?" Brittany chirped.

Santana gave Kairi another once over. "You're related to the other transfers?" Kairi nodded. 

"They're my brothers. We're all adopted," she added quickly, seeing the looks of confusion on the other's faces. 

"Oh, you must be Kairi," Olivia snapped her fingers in recognition. "Aqua said she had a sibling trying out for cheerleading."

"Yeah, actually. How do you know Aqua?" Kairi cocked her head quizzically.

"I'm on the volleyball team, and we met a while ago. She's really quite the player." The bell rang and Olivia shut her locker door. "Sorry guys, I gotta go. Coach wants to scrimmage during lunch again. I swear the woman is almost as bad as Sue."

Upon seeing the glares from her other friends, she ran a hand through her hair sheepishly. "Alright, no one on Earth could be as bad as Sue Sylvester. I guess I'll see you guys in glee after school?" 

"Yeah Liv, we'll be there, providing Coach doesn't make us run two hundred laps again as part of her "Cheerios are endurance machines and cannot feel fatigue" phase," Quinn said, grimacing. "If she does, I'll make sure none of the girls faint from heat exhaustion like last time."

Olivia nodded and walked off, Brittany following her closely at her heels, asking her if the new volleyball player had a cat.

"But it's the middle of October. In Ohio," Kairi said, looking a bit shaken. What in the worlds had she signed up for?

"Yeah, so what?" asked Santana in a bored tone. "You'll learn soon, newbie. For some reason Brit has taken to you and considers you her friend now, so I think you'll be okay." The Latina shot Kairi a barely noticeable smile, but a smile nonetheless. She closed her own locker and walked off with Quinn, motioning for Kairi to follow. "Now about Sue Sylvester…"

"Oh my god, no way!" Sora shouted. "You're already friends with three hot cheerleaders? Maybe I should try out for the team," he mused.

"That's really cool Kairi," said Ven, who had had a very eventful day himself, though it had very nearly involved him being doused with a slushie. He had met some guy in gym class, a very feminine boy named Kurt. After gym, and after which he had set a new school record for the hundred-meter dash, he caught up with the boy and they began talking.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, but do you think you could help me?" Ven didn't want to walk up to one of the jocks and ask for directions, so he settled for asking the flamboyant boy from his gym class.

"Of course. My name is Kurt, what's yours?" The boy was wary at first, but could detect no malicious intent from the new student.

"My full name is Ventus, but you can call me Ven." The spiky haired boy held out his hand and Kurt tentatively shook it. So far so good. "I just transferred here and I don't know my way around yet, though some girl named Rachel said me and my siblings should join glee club."

At this, Kurt squealed and clapped his hands together. "Well you've come to the right person then. I can show you around and tell you all about glee club since I'm in it too." The boy's smile suddenly faded when he saw a trio of jocks round the corner, each carrying a large cup in their hands.

"Why don't we go that way, and we'll see where your next class is." He grabbed Ven's arm and started to drag him away from the rapidly approaching jocks. He stopped abruptly when he ran solidly into another duo of jocks that had come around from the other side. Really, out of all the days they decided to slushie him, it had to be in front of the new kid? Kurt cursed at his luck, or what was left of it.

"So, Lady Hummel, where's the rest of your Homo Explosion group?" sneered one. "Did they decide that even you were too gay to be a part of your little outcast group?" 

"All the better for us then," said another, gripping his cup of slushie and faking a toss. He chuckled when Kurt visibly flinched. All the while, Ven had never left his new friend's side. "And who the hell are you?" 

"I'm Ven, what's it to you?" he growled. The group stepped back, looking fearful. 

"You wouldn't happen to be the new guys' younger sibling, would you?" Ven nodded and they paled.

He whispered to his idiot friends and they backed away, skulking. "Consider yourself lucky, Hummel. We'll be back next time you don't have the new kid around."

"Huh. I didn't think I was that scary," he said, placing a friendly hand on the still pale Kurt's shoulder. Inwardly, he had a good idea that Terra and Riku had already done their part in placing the fear of the Heartless into those boys. 

"You made an entire group of jocks back off with just your name," Kurt breathed in awe, color coming back to his cheeks. "Who are you?"

"Like I said, I'm Ven, but I think that had to do more with my siblings, Riku and Terra. They're probably the new stars of the football team already." Ven sighed. He wished he could join a popular varsity sport, but his teammates said that they wanted him to stay as far away from high school politics as he could. 

"Well, whoever your siblings are, I need to bow down at their feet and thank them profusely. Figuratively of course, there's no way I'm getting anywhere near the floor in this outfit." The two shared a smile and Kurt dug his own schedule out of his tastefully matching messenger bag. "It looks like we have the next class together, so I'll walk you there. I share the class with my boyfriend and a few other friends from glee, so I'll introduce you." He tilted his head in the direction of their next class and Ven wordlessly followed. How could this boy act so happy after nearly being doused in icy corn syrup? He must have a very strong heart in order to deal with that.

Ven shrugged and started chatting aimlessly with his new friend, hoping to gather some intel of his own, regarding the whereabouts of the rest of the unknown wielders. He was fairly certain that this boy was one of them.

"Those idiots almost slushied you?" Terra snarled. "When I get my hands on them, they won't know what hit them."

"Relax Terra, there isn't anything we can do about it now," Kairi placated. "Besides, they backed off in the end."

"But what if Ven hadn't been there? That boy would've been slushied for no reason." As the oldest, Terra was the most protective and had a rigid sense of both right and wrong. "It's despicable."

"The point is they didn't and the kid's okay," Riku drawled. "But back to a point Ven made earlier. You said he felt like one of the Keyblade wielders?"

Ven turned his gaze onto the newly minted football player. "Yeah, there was something about him that seemed right."

Terra considered this. "We met some of the more civilized jocks at lunch and felt the same feeling. Who were they again?"

"Name's Puck. This here's my buddy and the quarterback Finn Hudson, and fellow teammates Sam Evans and Mike Chang." The three other boys waved hello and went back to their lunches, digging in voraciously. "Who're you again?"

"I'm Riku and this is Terra. We just joined the team." They fist-bumped and Puck gestured for them to sit down.

"So I hear you guys are transfers," he said. Things traveled fast in this school as it was, and new students were always a point of gossip, for no one knew where they would end up fitting in. It was because of this that new kids had a temporary limited immortality of sorts that they hardly ever knew about. Nobody was stupid enough to slushie or bully a new kid because they might end up becoming a powerful jock or a Cheerio. And God forbid if anyone had the balls to bully a cheerleader.

Terra nodded. "My other siblings are around here somewhere. I think Kairi made the Cheerios and Aqua made the volleyball team, but I don't see them anywhere," he craned his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of them among the other students. 

"Oh, the first day is always the hardest," Puck said. "I remember when my little sister started here a few months ago and I was that protective."

Terra just sighed, "Am I really that bad? Or that obvious for that matter?"

Sam shook his head no. "Nah, not really. You just have that new-kid look plastered on your face."

"Oh, you mean like the look you've been wearing for the last three months?" Finn joked, shoving the blonde. Sam retaliated by chucking a french fry at his face.

"Shut up," he groaned. "This place can be kind of scary at first."

"Until you met Quinn, right?" Mike said. He seemed to be the quietest of the group of jocks, even more so than Terra. Yet still, his heart shone with the same light that emanated from the other three. 

Sam blushed. "I suppose so. Things were pretty great there for a while."

"Who's Quinn?" Riku asked.

"Quinn's the smokin' hot head cheerleader over there," Puck pointed out. Terra could've sworn that the Mohawked jock began drooling a little. "The shorter blonde next to Brittany and Santana."

"You're going out with her?" Even Riku was impressed. Quinn was really gorgeous, and he almost felt a twinge of attraction. Almost.

"Was going out with her," Sam pouted. "We broke up a while ago."

Finn clapped him on the back. "It's okay dude, maybe she wasn't good enough for you."

Sam stuck his tongue out at the tall boy. "You're only saying that to make yourself feel better. After all, you went out with her too."

Both Riku and Terra hissed in sympathy, while Finn just ran his hands through his hair, looking embarrassed. "So what if I am? She's been the cause of misery for more than a few guys."

"She doesn't look that mean," Puck added, "But if you mess with her or her friends, I'd catch the next plane to Antarctica before either she or her attack dog of a lieutenant finds you."

Riku looked at his teammate for a minute, silently asking the same question that was rolling around in Terra's head. He could see that all four of the boys had the same light within them, though it was hidden. They seemed to be oblivious to the power they had, which could end up being either a blessing or a curse to the two when the time came to reveal themselves.

"Are any of you in any other clubs besides being football players?" he decided to ask. He had a feeling that all of the pure hearted people they were ordered to protect knew each other.

"Yeah," Finn replied slowly, warily, "So what?"

"Relax, I don't think he means to sound hostile," Mike placated the tall quarterback. "We're all also in Glee Club, but it's not really a wise idea to broadcast that fact."

"In case you haven't noticed, the Glee Club people aren't treated very well. We're relatively safe thanks to our status as badass jocks," Puck said in all seriousness, "but even we catch hell every now and then for it." The other three nodded, all to familiar with the teasing and taunting.

"Were you guys thinking of joining?" Mike asked, finishing up the last of his chips and throwing the wrapper in the trash with a well-placed basket toss. 

"I honestly don't know," Riku admitted, poking at the few remaining crumbs of his lunch. "We met a girl named Rachel Berry this morning and she said we should join." All at once, the answer hit him like a ton of bricks and his eyes widened behind silvery bangs.

Terra caught the look on Riku's face and made the connection. Rachel Berry had the same feeling of light as the four boys in front of them. What did they all have in common? Glee Club.

"I think we might check it out at least," he settled upon an answer. "It looks like it could be really interesting."

"Oh, cool." Finn said, the worried feeling in the pit of his stomach dissolving with Terra's statement. "We thought you'd be, I dunno, weirded out by a bunch of dudes singing Broadway hits onstage."

"Believe me, we've seen weirder things," Riku scoffed.

The bell rang, and students dutifully began shuffling their way to afternoon classes. The four jocks gathered up their things, leaving with various farewells and see you after schools and left Riku and Terra to their thoughts.

"I'm starting to think that Glee Club has something to do with this," Terra mentioned off-handedly. 

"Gee, you think?" Riku retorted, placing his lunch tray in the return stack and following Terra to Chemistry. "I wonder what the rest of them are like?"

"I guess we'll have to wait until after school, then." 

"So that's it?" Sora said. "You met up with a bunch of jocks and all you could talk about were girls and glee club? I don't know why I even bother," he muttered under his breath.

"You were the one who suggested we join in the first place," Aqua reminded him none too gently.

"Touche. Well, I guess the only thing left to do is see for ourselves. Ven, do you still have that map the short brunette gave you?" Ven nodded and pulled out the map, handing it to Sora.

"Wait, why don't we get to hear about your day?" Kairi asked. "I want to know what you were up to."

"As if I'm going to tell you," Sora said distractedly, staring at the hastily drawn map. "So if we're here, where the heck is the choir room?"

"Sora!" Kairi berated, all but snatching the map from him. "It's not fair, we all told how our day went, it's your turn, so spill."

"I don't see Aqua saying anything," Sora responded, taking back the now rumpled map. He smoothed it out as best he could before resuming his search.

"At this rate, we'll be late to Glee Club," Aqua said, trying to remove herself from any questioning. Her day hadn't been as interesting as the other's had. All she had done was meet the rest of her volleyball team and almost flunk a surprise pop quiz in fourth period. She'd been saved thanks to a somewhat nerdy-looking boy in glasses and a wheelchair, who had whispered the right answer to her.

"We're so not done here," Kairi huffed, taking hold of the map in Sora's hands and turning it to the right. "I will hear about both of your stories later, count on it. By the way, the auditorium is that way, doofus."

"Oh."

XXX

The six of them barged into the choir room a few minutes later, having run across campus to make it in time.

"Um, hi," Sora panted, trying to catch his breath. He and Ventus seemed to be the only ones out of breath. Damn his teammates and their athletic personalities. Sure, he may be one of the Keyblade wielders, but he wasn't really built for the fast running. He considered himself more of a long-distance endurance person.

"See, I told you they'd show up," Rachel smirked, turning to Puck. "Noah, I believe you now owe me twenty dollars." The Mohawked boy cursed and fished in his wallet for a twenty, which he handed to the smug girl.

"Never bet with Rachel Berry," Olivia joked, sitting next to the three cheerleaders. "I tried to warn you Puckerman."

"Shut it, little one," he growled in resignation.

"Don't call me that, I'm only a few months younger than you and Santana!"

The rest of the club broke out into scattered chatter after that, Kurt and Blaine sweeping up Ven and ushering him into a chair in their group, which contained a boy in a wheelchair that waved to Aqua and an Asian girl that greeted them shyly.

"Oh, Kairi, Aqua, over here!" Brittany squealed, gesturing for them to sit next to her and her friends.

Terra and Riku were soon caught up with the football players, who were jeering at Puck for his lousy betting skills. Only Sora remained, put out until Rachel Berry, an African American girl and a taller, thinner brunette boy walked towards him.

"Seems like everyone else has found where they belong," he lamented.

"Don't worry, things will look up soon enough," Rachel said. "The first day's always the hardest. I'd like to introduce Mercedes and Michael and officially welcome you to glee club."

"Thanks. Are things always like this?" Sora wondered, gazing around at his teammates, who were laughing and smiling with their new friends.

"Kind of," Michael said. "We don't officially start until Mr. Shue gets here, and that could take a while."

"Recently we've been in kind of a bind. We're supposed to be practicing for Regionals, and by practice I mean giving me solos, but Mr. Shuester has taken it upon himself to 'form a more cohesive bond with the team'," Rachel grumbled, none too pleased.

"You're just upset that he's trying to get more people to sing solos this time around," argued Mercedes. "Not everything should be about you, you know."

Rachel sighed, and Sora guessed that she was used to these talks. "I know, I know, but really, none of you can compare to the years of extensive vocal training that I have been partaking in since the young age of—" Michael clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Excuse her, she tends to talk in paragraphs," Mercedes said, motioning for Sora to follow them to their group of chairs. Rachel shot both her and Michael a death glare from underneath the brunette boy's hand.

Sora laughed at that. He may not have made friends as quickly as the others, but he sure liked the ones he made now. He could feel the different auras of the glee kids and almost all of them shone with light. He noticed that the Goth looking girl, the boy in the wheelchair and Mercedes didn't have that light, and that made him hesitate, though he didn't think they were threats.

He had zoned out for a minute and was brought back to reality when Mr. Shue walked into the room.

"Hey guys, so this week we're going to—" he paused for a minute, "—are there suddenly more of you or am I just imagining things?"

"No, this is real," Puck said. "We found the new transfer kids and asked them to join."

Kairi raised her hand, "We don't know for sure if we're joining, but we thought we'd at least check it out."

"Well then, this is a nice turn of events. Guys, why don't we show our new friends the number we've been working on." Mr. Schue cleared the front of the room and beckoned the rest of the members to the front. Rachel bounded to the front, while Santana brought up the rear, grumbling to her cousin about how unfair that it was that Rachel got yet another solo.

Sora clapped his hands excitedly, wondering what song they'd be singing. Maybe a seminal Broadway classic or a nice blues song. He was utterly surprised then when Puck reached out for an electric guitar and began hitting the first chords of the song, Finn backing him up on the drums.

Rachel took a deep breath and began the song, with the six Keyblade Wielders looking on in wonder when Puck began playing a wicked riff on the guitar. This was nothing like a Broadway tune, it was just plain awesome, with a fast, fierce beat. The short brunette started the song softly, crooning out the notes like a professional.

I wonder where you are

Please don't come around tonight

Cause I can't stand to see you

And I don't wanna fight

Give me one more drink and I swear I think

I'll be ready to make the same mistakes again

With you

Suddenly the beat picked up and Puck continued wailing on the guitar as he took up the next part. Terra and the others were thoroughly impressed.

I finally figured out that you're not coming back

And I'm not going anywhere

You were the one with all the faith

How'd you let it slip away?

That's right, I'm blaming this all on you

The little things you didn't do

Olivia and Quinn joined in to harmonize with the next bit, their voices blending perfectly together.

We both knew that you were stronger

Could've fought a little longer

Didn't hold it tight enough

You lost your grip and I slipped right through your fingers

By now, everyone else had joined in for the chorus, clapping their hands and dancing with each other, and all in all having a great time. Brittany soon dragged Kairi up to have fun with them and at her request, the other five Keyblade Wielders soon followed.

No more sleepless nights alone

This bed is better without you

No more waiting up for calls 

I've got nothing left to say to you

So I will save this last breath for words that I won't scream

I don't feel like dying, but you're killing me

Everyone was so engrossed in the magic of the music that they didn't notice a dark cloud coming over the school. The few remaining students at school all shivered and looked up at the menacing cloud of darkness.

"Guys, is it just me, or does something not feel quite right at the moment," Terra shouted over the music.

Riku paused and looked out the window. His eyes widened and he had to consciously stop himself from summoning his Keyblade at the sight. "Shit, they've found us. We have to leave, now!"

"But the others," Terra yelled. "They're still—"

"There's no time for that. They'll be mad for a while, but don't you think their lives are more important than a performance?"

"I don't think Rachel would agree," Terra muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing, let's just get everyone to safety, and soon."

The song ended with a huge cheer from everybody, Kairi and Aqua leading the charge. "Oh my god, that was awesome!" Kairi said. "I always thought glee clubs did boring songs," she added.

"Guess you were proved wrong," Quinn told her. "Still wanna join?"

The others waited with bated breath, ignoring Riku and Terra, who were still staring out the window.

"I can't speak for the others, but I'm in!" Ven, Sora and Aqua quickly seconded it, and yet another burst of cheering filled the room. "Terra, Riku, how about you? Guys?"

"Is there something wrong?" Puck asked the two, approaching them. They jumped back, looking like they'd just been caught doing something bad.

"Uh, no," Riku edged away from the window. "Everything's peachy, it's not like there's a huge cloud of darkness headed our way." Terra facepalmed. Now was not the time to get everyone scared.

Puck leaned towards the window and directly at the rolling wave of dark clouds. "Oh, it's probably a storm or something," he said.

"I dunno Puck," Olivia said doubtfully, "There's definitely something weird about those clouds. They feel, would dark be a good word for them?" she asked Quinn and Santana, who nodded.

They watched as it started to rain, little pitch-black droplets falling from the cloud, followed by several blue ones.

Then the screams started.

"What the hell was that?" Finn asked, setting down his drumsticks and looking around.

"I'm not sure," Mr. Shue said. "Sue should have left by now," he mused, wondering what all the commotion was about. He stuck his head outside and saw nothing.

"I'll be right back guys, just stay here and stay calm." He walked out, Terra and Sora yelling at him not to.

After five tense minutes, Mr. Shue still hadn't returned and everyone was getting visibly nervous. "Is he okay?" Brittany asked Santana.

"I don't know mija, I don't know." The fiery Latina held onto her girlfriend.

"Terra, we have to do something," Aqua pressed her teammate. "Master Eraqus told us to protect them with all of our powers."

"Alright then, let's go," Terra summoned his Keyblade and all fifteen pairs of eyes focused on him. "Aqua, you and Riku secure the immediate area and the rest of us will go and get them to safety."

Five other Keyblades soon joined the fray and they rushed out to meet the oncoming Heartless and Unversed head on.

XXX

As soon as the new transfer kids left the room, with key-like weapons in their hands, the Glee Club disintegrated into chaos. Artie, Tina and Mercedes had taken one look at the strange creatures that were crawling down the halls and had fled, screaming.

"Where is everyone going, San?" Brittany asked.

Almost immediately after, Kurt, Blaine, Mike, Michael and Rachel followed, leaving Finn, Puck, Sam, the cheerleaders and the volleyball player in the room as several of the shadowy things broke apart from the main force and jerked towards them.

"Q, what the hell are those things?" shouted Santana, a hint of panic creeping into her usually confident demeanor. She ushered her girlfriend Brittany and her younger cousin Olivia behind her and on top of the grand piano while the creatures scuttled around the floor, pouring through the open door.

"How am I supposed to know?" Quinn shouted over the screams of the rest of the glee club. "Hey, get back here you cowards!" Too late. Finn, Sam and Puck had run away. So much for being macho, Quinn thought, as she kicked one of the shadowy creatures. It was surprisingly lightweight, as it flew backwards, hitting one of the plastic chairs with a soft but audible thump.

Brittany seemed to be the only truly rational one right now, which came as no surprise to the people who knew her best. She poked her head out from behind her protective girlfriend. "San, why don't you just hit them like you do everybody else?"

A lightbulb seemed to go off in the Latina's head and she leaped forward to help Quinn, who was having no luck with whatever monsters these were. No matter, Santana fucking Lopez was here, and she was going to fight. "That's an awesome plan babe. But I want you to stay back with Olivia. Puck would kill me if I let anything happen to you two. Hell, I would kill me if anything happened to you."

Standing back-to-back with her best friend and captain, she squared her stance and got ready to kick some ass. She swung for one of the shadows as it leapt for her and it fell back. Cheering internally, her victory was short lived as three more shadows immediately took the place of the one she had felled. The damn things seemed to be coming out of the ground. Wait—they were coming out of the ground!

"Quinn! They keep coming! What're we gonna do?" She could feel the blonde's back pressed up against hers as they lost ground, slowly becoming overwhelmed by little shadows. She could just see out of her peripheral vision, an entourage of shadow creatures leaping onto the piano and crawling towards Brittany and Olivia. "Britt, little one, watch out!" Her warning was lost amidst a bright flash of light. When her vision cleared, her mouth dropped to the floor.

Both her cousin and her girlfriend were holding some sort of key in their right hands. Olivia's was jet-black, and rather deadly looking. The only real spot of color on the weapon, among the alternating shades of black, was a dark blue diamond near the hilt. A chain dangled from the end, ending in a symbol she thought she had seen before. Oh, yeah, Olivia had that exact symbol on her wallet. Well, something similar anyways. It looked sort of like a crown, though the same shade of black, but there was something different about it. Something dark.

Brittany looked just as surprised at hers, which was a gorgeous blue. It started near the hilt with the same shade of blue as her eyes before fanning into a wave-like end with a star in the middle. It seemed to fit her, personality and all. Santana couldn't help but smile despite the grave situation. Even while cornered by small shadowy gremlins, Brittany managed to look both confused and excited.

She watched as the shadows around them disappeared into poofs of darkness.

Both Santana and Quinn's jaws dropped. Their friends were holding the same type of weapons that the transfer kids had. The mass of shadows shirked away from the two of them, as if they were frightened of Brittany and Olivia now. But that only made them agitated, and they rerouted to scuttle towards the undefended Cheerios.

"San!" Brittany screamed. Her warning came too late as the two were overwhelmed completely, buried under a thick shadow of darkness.

"Brit!" Santana yelled back, struggling to breathe underneath the creatures. For being made of what seemed like pure shadow, the bastards still weighed a ton. She was not going to let these things hurt Brittany. She wouldn't allow it. They had come too far together to lose now.

Beside her, Quinn was struggling similarly. Suddenly, Santana felt a warm weight settle in her right hand, the comfortable feeling of a weapon. She swung outwards, blinded by the shadows and light suddenly filtered into her vision.

Shadows dissolved as Santana swung her silver Keyblade at them, unable to dodge her wild swings. Quinn soon followed, a white and blue Keyblade coming to life in her hand. Awed for a moment, they stared at their Blades.

"Okay, what the fuck?" Santana said, testing her newfound weapon, weighing it in her hands. Brittany didn't even have the heart to correct her language, helping Olivia off the piano and examining her own Keyblade.

The room was quiet now, the only sign that a struggle had occurred being a row of chairs that had been toppled over by shadow and cheerleader alike.

"I think the new kids had things just like ours," Olivia deduced, weapon at her side. She liked the feel of it, it felt perfectly balanced.

"No shit, Sherlock," Santana replied, earning herself a glare from Brittany and a smack from Quinn. "Sorry."

A yell of terror interrupted their silent wonderings and the four of them whirled around.

"Should we help them?" Quinn asked. She had to admit, she felt powerful holding this blade in her hand.

"Of course we need to," Brittany admonished. "That sounded like Puck and the others."

Nodding to each other, they ran out to help their friends.

XXX

They found Puck and the other Glee Club members huddled in a circle, surrounded by a combination of black and blue creatures.

"Guys, get away, they'll come after you," Puck yelled, always the savior.

"We can stop them," Santana replied, swinging her silver Keyblade and rushing into the fight.

"Santana, don't you think we need a—" Olivia warned. "plan?" She sighed and waded into the fray, hacking at the small shadows, followed by the two blondes.

"How the hell are you doing that?" Finn asked, skirting away from a shadow that had been creeping closer and closer. "Shoo. Go away," he growled.

It kept it up, scuttling forward before sinking back into the floor, just out of the quarterback's reach.

Finn was getting frustrated and he could feel the other guys indignant complaints as well. Here they were standing around, looking rather useless while the girls were kicking some serious ass. Not that he had anything against the girls taking charge, he just wanted in.

The shadow slunk forward, a teasing look in its bright yellow eyes, practically daring Finn to come and get it. "Fuck. Off!" he yelled, swinging downwards at the shadow.

It poofed into small flurries of darkness and Finn stared in surprise at the Keyblade now resting in his hand. It was shorter than the others, which miffed him for a second. White at the hilt with alternating blue and black spiked ridges, ending with a rather wicked hook, his Keyblade seemed to vibrate with power.

His show of bravery emboldened the others and set off a chain reaction. Within seconds, seven other Keyblades sprung into the hands of the Glee club members, who began hacking and slashing at the remaining enemies, no longer defenseless.

It only took a few minutes of downright bashing for all of the remaining blue and black shadows to disintegrate. Everybody stood still, panting with the exertion.

"Okay, I repeat, what the fuck?" Santana reiterated, rushing to Brittany and embracing her, dropping her Keyblade to the tile floor with a clatter.

They all stood in silence until Riku, Terra, Ven, Sora, Kairi and Aqua came running back in, weapons at the ready. Ven nearly tripped over Santana's discarded Keyblade and that's when they noticed eleven other Keyblades clutched in hands.

"I guess we have a lot of explaining to do," Riku said.

"Damn straight, Riku," Sam snarled. "What the hell were those things, and why are we all carrying oversized keys?"

Terra jumped in. "Look, I know that things seem weird right now."

"Duh," Rachel said, uncharacteristically silent.

"I agree with Sam," Kurt raised his hand. "Don't get us wrong, we're practically used to strange and dangerous things happening, but this is completely…" he struggled to find a word.

"Insane?" Blaine offered helpfully, his Keyblade held loosely at his side. He and Michael were the only two that had left-handed Keyblades, which surprised him, considering he wasn't even left-handed.

"Thank you. This is insane," Kurt said.

"And we promise to explain everything soon enough, but right now, we're not safe." Aqua tried to calm down the other teenagers, who looked like they were slowly coming off their adrenaline highs.

"She's right, we don't know how many more Heartless and Unversed are out there, so we need to go. Now." Sora waved a hand and a portal formed out of thin air, frightening the Glee Club kids.

"Look, you have no reason to trust us, but I don't want anything bad to happen to anyone. You guys are special. Really special, and we have to keep you safe." Ven pointed out before ushering the teens to step through.

"Nuh-uh. We're not going anywhere without an explanation." Santana said stubbornly.

"San, I think we should go," this came from Brittany, who looked directly at Riku and Terra. Santana stood no chance once the blonde dancer redirected her gaze at her.

"Damn it, fine, we'll follow, but you have a hell of a lot of things to explain."

"Which we will get to, we promise," Sora said, looking around for signs of any more Heartless and Unversed. "But we really need to leave."

Santana, Quinn, Olivia and Brittany followed Ven and disappeared into the portal.

"What about Tina and Artie and Mercedes?" Rachel gasped. "We need to find them!"

"There's nothing we can do right now for them. I think they'll be okay, but right now our priority is the twelve of you," Riku met her determined gaze with one of his own and she folded.

"Fine. I'll come," she snapped. "Anyone else?" At this moment, she felt that long-winded sentences weren't appropriate for a time like this.

Six other voices assented and one by one they walked into the portal, followed by Aqua, Kairi, Riku, and Terra.

"Is everyone in?" Sora called from the outside, his voice sounding distorted and distant to those inside the portal. A muffled yes responded and he himself walked in, sealing the portal shut behind him and sending everyone back to Master Eraqus's castle.

When they arrived, they all fell inelegantly out of the portal at the same spot where Sora and the others had left, only this time from several feet up.

"Ow, that was my shoulder!" Sam winced as Puck fell on him. The other new Keyblade wielders murmured things along the same line.

Dusting themselves off, the twelve new Wielders looked out at the view of the castle and its surrounding courtyard.

Santana rubbed her eyes, not believing the magnificent view right in front of her eyes. "Holy—"

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Riku replied. "Things are just getting started."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song is Killing Me, by Cauterize.


	3. Destinies Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a list of the characters and their respective Keyblades, so people know. I think where they first appear in the games is correct…
> 
> Rachel- Star Seeker (KH2)
> 
> Quinn- Oathkeeper (KH)
> 
> Santana- Sleeping Lion (KH2)
> 
> Brittany- Brightcrest (BBS)
> 
> Olivia- Oblivion (KH)
> 
> Finn- Leviathan (356/2) 
> 
> Kurt- Stroke of Midnight (BBS)
> 
> Puck- One-Winged Angel (KH: Final Mix)
> 
> Blaine- Guardian Soul (KH2)
> 
> Mike-Diamond Dust (KH: Final Mix) 
> 
> Sam-Lost Memory (BBS)
> 
> Michael-Fatal Crest (KH2)

"This isn't a dream is it?" Mike asked, gazing around at the inside of the massive castle in awe. More than one of the new Wielders had the same look of wonder plastered on their faces upon walking inside. Still wearing the same clothes from the attack, they appeared slightly disheveled but still strong.

"Could be, but then why are we all having the same one?" Quinn mused from the back of the group. "I mean, I'm not above testing or supporting that theory, but even this is a little…otherworldly."

"That's 'cause we're in another world, Q," Brittany bounced back and forth between her girlfriend and her captain, a confident look on her face. "San, are there more people behind us, cause I can hear footsteps."

"It's just the echo, Brit," Olivia told her, tapping her shoes on the castle floor, the sound reverberating off the walls. "Is this actually another world?"

"I don't know why you are believing that, Olivia. It is physically impossible for us to be in another world because there are none," Rachel added briskly, though she herself was even beginning to doubt it. "It's like suggesting unicorns are real creatures." Brittany's smile dropped.

"Really?" Santana argued, angrier now that Rachel had basically told her blonde that unicorns didn't exist. It was almost as bad as telling her Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real. She stuck her foot out and tripped the short starlet, who fell to the floor with a shriek. "The floor feels pretty real, right?"

"Santana!" Olivia and Quinn scolded in unison, helping Rachel up. The fiery Latina merely shrugged.

"I was just testing a theory," she smirked, "You should applaud my sudden interest in science."

"You've always been into science, Santana," Quinn said. "You're the only one of us to have gotten a near-perfect score on both the Chemistry and Biology AP."

"Aw, Santana's a closet geek," giggled Kurt. "Guess you're not completely inhuman after all."

"Back off Hummel!" she snarled back, though her retort lacked its usual bravado and sting.

"That's enough out of all of you," Puck hushed them. "We're almost there."

"Um, where exactly is 'there'?" Blaine asked, looking around in confusion. Even though the six original Keyblade Wielders seemed to know their way around the winding and eerily identical hallways, he'd lost track of all the turns.

"I got totally confused less than a minute after we started walking," Finn chimed in.

"You would," Sam snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn glared at the blonde petulantly.

"Stop arguing, guys!" Puck shouted. "Isn't it bad enough that we're stuck in another world with no way to get back home?"

The rest of the Glee kids fell silent after that.

"Okay guys, welcome to the Main Hall of the Castle!" Sora said, standing on one side of a huge set of double doors. Ven stood by the other and with a grunt of effort, they opened the aged doors.

Master Eraqus stood in the center of the hall, Yen Sid to his right. "I didn't expect any of you back this early," Eraqus said.

"Things…happened rather quickly," Aqua explained, stepping aside to reveal the twelve Wielders. "But we did as you requested and brought them back here."

Yen Sid looked at the Glee kids and gave them a scrutinizing once over from head to toe, before nodding in satisfaction. "They have the light inside of them," he agreed. "And it seems that it has already been activated?" he asked, turning to Riku for agreement.

"Yes, Master," Riku replied. "A small force of Heartless and Unversed attacked, and while we were containing the threat, they all somehow activated their Keyblades."

"Why don't the six of you come with me and discuss this in further detail," Yen Sid said. "Master Eraqus, if you will excuse us for a few hours."

Eraqus nodded. "Then I shall introduce them to the situation at hand and provide as many answers as I can."

"You six, this way please," Yen Sid gestured, creating another portal. "We will be gone only a few hours, enough time to talk and to let the new Wielders begin training." Riku and the others followed wordlessly. Another flash of light accompanied their departure.

Master Eraqus turned to Puck and Santana, who had edged forward, taking the voice of leadership in their small group.

"Now, the first things first, please summon your Keyblades."

"How exactly do we do that?" Michael asked, staring at his left hand. "It just sort of…came to us last time."

A small burst of light popped into existence and suddenly Santana was holding her Keyblade. "You have to want it."

"There are more reasons than that, Santana, but those will have to be discovered at a different time." Eraqus summoned his own Keyblade effortlessly. The Glee kids didn't even bother to question his apparent knowledge of their names.

"Each Keyblade has its own story and its own reasons for appearing to you. There are potentially countless Keyblades in existence, belonging to both light and dark, but the one you hold right now is yours for a reason."

"And what would the reason be?" Kurt asked.

"Again, something you have to discover for yourself. However, the name of your Keyblade will provide some valuable insight on both your true personality and the reason behind its appearance."

"Does that mean we need to go on, like, a quest or something?" Finn wondered. "I don't really think that that would be a good thing right now."

"No quest is needed, Finn," Eraqus assured the tall quarterback. "I happen to have quite the store of knowledge when it comes to Keyblades of all shapes and sizes. Why don't you all take a seat? This could take a while to explain."

Waving his hands, a dozen cushy chairs appeared and the Glee kids reluctantly sat down. Another wave and a glowing nexus appeared in the floor. Magic flowed through its veins, and everyone could feel its pull.

"This is a nexus. Now, nexuses are found in many places, including in the architecture of many worlds. They are rather useless until magic is bound to it, at which point they become a conduit of sorts, used for teleportation, power-enhancing rituals, and in this case, for revealing destinies."

"So what's mine?" Santana asked. "It feels, right to be holding it." Master Eraqus beckoned for her to hold it out in front of her, ushering her into the nexus.

"Yours is known as Sleeping Lion, Santana. It is a relatively powerful Keyblade, and one not often found. It generally appears to those with a vicious need to protect others, yet reveals that your true power remains dormant still, to be released at the right time."

Santana scoffed, "Whatever, I don't need a shrink," returning to her seat.

"I believe that Olivia and Quinn should come up here next." Slightly startled, the Cheerios captain and the raven-haired outside hitter shuffled forward, summoning their Keyblades.

"Ah, as I suspected. You two technically hold two halves of a whole in your hands. Quinn, you have possession of Oathkeeper and Olivia, yours is Oblivion. While both separate Keyblades, they are often wielded together by one person, through a skill known as Synch Blade, though not always."

"So that means what? That we're connected in some way?" Quinn looked at Olivia.

"Precisely. Though the specifics are unclear, I am certain you will discover the reason. Now, onto their power. Oathkeeper is known to appear to those that need a powerful reminder to keep their heart open, even in the face of danger. Oblivion on the other hand, is a sign of an internal fight with yourself, one that will tempt you but if you overcome it, will provide an absolute end to your adversaries. Finally, when it comes to these two, teamwork is essential all the time, but you two will have to work on it even more, as these Keyblades work best when in sync."

"No problem, right Quinn?" Olivia asked the blonde, who smiled and nodded. They clinked their Keyblades together and a single pure note sounded before they sat down.

"This is kind of like a psychic reading," Kurt mused. "I mean, it feels like one. You're telling us about our personal struggles both past and future, things that we don't share in public."

"While I wouldn't go as far as to call myself a psychic, there is an aspect of magic that goes on during the process. You twelve will need to know about and, more importantly, understand the innermost struggles and fears of your closest teammates." Master Eraqus explained. "Why don't we continue with you, Kurt, and your boyfriend."

Kurt stood shakily and stepped forward, followed by Blaine, who rested a comforting hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. "We don't have to this if you don't want," he murmured.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt shook his head, "No, I think it's something we need to do, as long as you stay by me."

Blaine squeezed Kurt's hand. "Courage, always."

As one, they summoned their Keyblades and presented them to Eraqus. "Ah, I see that you are a left handed wielder, Blaine."

"Is that significant?" he asked.

"Not at the moment, though it may prove so later on. The one you hold is called Guardian Soul. Blaine, you consider it very important to protect Kurt and to a lesser degree, the others. You know that he can take care of himself, but will always stand as a stalwart guardian, ready to help."

"Blaine, would you really go that far to protect me?" Kurt asked his boyfriend.

"I would," the brunette ex-Warbler said simply.

At that admission, the girls in the group, led by Brittany and excluding Santana, 'aww'-ed in unison.

"Kurt, the Keyblade known as Stroke of Midnight has appeared for you."

"It looks…kind of girly," Finn muttered to Puck, who slapped him upside the head, hissing at him to shut up and listen for once in his life.

"Fair amount of the pot calling the kettle black, Noah," Rachel said scathingly, turning around for a bit while Eraqus continued with his explanation.

"Do not mistake its rather feminine appearance for weakness or incapability. Tales tell of more than one male that has wielded this Keyblade, actually outnumbering the females in this case," he said, glancing pointedly at Finn, who shrunk away from his gaze. "Stroke of Midnight represents a rapidly approaching time in which decisions are to be made and powers are to be revealed. It is steady ally to have on one's side."

By now, five of the twelve had been told about their Keyblades, and the other seven waited anxiously for their turn.

"Rachel, Brittany, please come forward." The blonde dancer and the brunette starlet both leaped to the front, Keyblades already in hand.

"We will start with you, Brittany. Your Keyblade is unique to you in the fact that it symbolizes nearly every aspect of your personality. Brightcrest, as it is called, has been wielded in the past and was instrumental during the last Keyblade War. Hardly anything regarding its strength is known about it, however, its power is immense."

"Wait, is it…safe for her to wield this?" Santana interrupted, standing up. "The last thing I want is Brit to get hurt." The blonde turned to her.

"San, I love you, but you have to respect that I can protect myself. This Keyblade is going to help me accomplish that." Brittany had such a determined look on her face that it scared Santana for a minute, though she quickly got over it. The Latina stared directly into the blonde's eyes, face awash with concern, anger and yet she showed the kind of soul-shattering love that only the truest of mates could have.

Torn, Santana seemed to fight with herself for a minute before sitting back down, looking defeated yet loving. "I trust you, Brittany, more than anyone here. I don't want to see you get hurt, you know that, but ultimately it is your power now, and I'll stand by you."

Brittany ran to her and kissed her gently on the lips, "I love you too, baby." The Latina turned red and started tripping over her words.

Olivia and Puck looked at each other knowingly and made whipping sounds. "Stuff it, Puckerman," the Latina growled.

Eraqus cleared his throat, and all twelve pairs of eyes re-focused on him. "Now, onto Rachel. You hold Starseeker in your hand."

"Figures," Sam snorts none too quietly, and the others smiled.

"I resent that, Samuel. Now more than ever it seems obvious that I am destined to be a star in every shape and form."

"Rachel, Starseeker is indeed indicative of a rising destiny, but it doesn't always mean the destiny you wish for so badly will be obtainable. You are no doubt used to hard work and the struggles that come with it, and that will be a great advantage in the future. Starseeker is a more than capable ally that will remind you of the future you so dearly wish for."

Rachel took a long look at her Keyblade and swung it experimentally, the stars decorating the Keyblade twinkling on and off. "Thank you Master Eraqus. I shall do my utmost to prove my worth to everyone."

"As I am sure everyone will prove the same to you, in time," Eraqus nodded. "Finn and Puck, I believe you two should be next."

The two jocks, who were still bickering with each other under their breath, looked up at the Master Wielder sheepishly, looking abashed and slightly embarrassed. Despite all of the difficult things they'd had to deal with over the last two years, the two still remained best friends. They still fought like middle-schoolers sometimes, but they had proven to be nearly inseparable and loyal to a fault.

"Noah Puckerman, if you please," Eraqus gestured. The Mohawked boy summoned his own Keyblade, eyes blazing with excitement. "You possess the Keyblade known as One-Winged Angel. Its arrival heralds great power and light hidden beneath dark and terrible strength."

"How could strength be bad?" Finn asked, confusion knitting his brows together. "I mean, isn't it just power?"

"What you do with the power given to you by your Keyblades is ultimately up to you," Eraqus answered, banishing his Keyblade and holding out his hand to Puck. The football player handed over his Keyblade to him. Within seconds, it flashed out of the Master's hands and back into Puck's. "Nobody else can wield your Keyblade, for it is yours in every sense. Your power can be used for both good and bad, and it is your choice what to do with it, but keep in mind that you must also bear whatever consequences occur as a result."

Finn just cocked his head quizzically. "So we can do whatever we want with our new power?"

"Yes. You are all almost adults now and are more than capable of making decisions, but one thing neither I, Yen Sid or the others will tolerate is blatant disregard for the lives of others. Becoming a wielder is dangerous enough as it is."

"We can't abuse our powers, Finn," Puck said, banishing One-Winged Angel. "We're football players, and we know what power is like, all the temptations and stuff. I won't become another Karofsky or Azimio because a little power got into our heads."

"I'm just saying that we have all of this power now, so what do we do with it?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Michael piped up from behind Sam. "We fight. I know everyone saw those weird creatures. Don't forget, we left behind Mercedes, Tina and Artie." Everyone's expressions turned somber.

"I agree with Michael," Mike added, "Tina's still out there, along with who knows how many of those things."

"And there's no way we're leaving behind Mercedes and Artie too. They're our friends, and we'll fight for them."

"Now, now," Eraqus placated everyone. "You're not going to do any of them good until we finish here. Finn, please summon your Keyblade."

Finn's black and blue Keyblade burst forth. He saw some of the other's glancing at it and he tried to hide it. It was a shorter Keyblade by far, but with his size, it seemed like an even more ill-fitted weapon. "You have Leviathan. It makes up for its shorter reach with a unique ability to deal critical damage on a more regular basis."

"Shouldn't someone like Rachel have this Keyblade?" Finn asked. "At least it fits her."

"I think Finn just called you a midget," Santana smirked.

"Yes, I got that, thank you Santana," Rachel glowered at the tall quarterback, and he shrunk under the singer's gaze.

"Finn, you need to learn how to adapt to changing circumstances and to understand that everyone has personal demons. You cannot let your first impressions guide the whole of your relationships. As such, Leviathan is not one to be judged easily."

"That's certainly something that he could stand to work on," pouted Rachel.

"Rach, when will you stop blaming me for breaking up with you, when you're the one who broke up with me?" Finn turned to her angrily, Keyblade still in hand.

"Finn, I caught you making out with one of the Cheerios! If that doesn't constitute the proper reason to break things off, then I don't know what does."

As one, everyone turned to Santana. "What the hell are you all looking at me for?" she growled, "I wouldn't touch Frankenteen like that again with a ten-foot pole."

"She forced herself on me!" Finn argued back, slowly turning red with frustration.

"You're over six feet tall, Finn! What could she have possibly made you do? Huh?" Rachel shot back.

At this, Finn clamped his mouth shut, refusing to escalate the conflict. "Is there anything else?" he asked Eraqus.

"Ah, no, not at the moment." Even he looked a little startled by the two of them fighting. He cleared his throat and dismissed Finn and Puck back to their seats. "Let's just finish up with Mike, Sam and Michael.

The two Michaels and Sam, who had waited pretty patiently for everyone to hear their own personal "fortune", nearly toppled over their chairs in their haste to get to the front. "We're ready," Sam panted, stepping inside the nexus.

"Lost Memory, Fatal Crest and Diamond Dust," Eraqus rattled off the names of their Keyblades in an instant. "Sam Evans, there are portions of your memory that you would like to keep hidden, to avoid past hurt. Those bits and pieces will become your undoing unless you learn to face them. Your friends and future teammates will help you, for it is as crucial to their ultimate survival as it is to yours. Lost Memory will be your guide."

"And if I don't want to face them?" Sam asked, eyes filled with anger.

"That is your choice, but know that battles have been decided on such admissions. You hold in your hand a truly strong ally. You simply need to learn that strength as well."

"Michael." Both of them stood up straight, ready to go. "Ahem, that Michael, the one that is called it usually. Michael Meza."

"Oh," Michael sidled up to the nexus and stepped inside the magic circle. "Sorry, We're still getting some of the same name kinks worked out."

"No need to apologize. We shall simply get on with your destiny. Fatal Crest, as it's called, belongs with those who are still figuring themselves out. Your power is at its crest right now, unable to grow any further until you understand your own heart in a deeper way."

"What's the big deal with this destiny thing anyway?" Puck broke in. "I always thought knowing the future would be a good thing, but what if we don't like our destiny?"

"I kinda have to agree with him on this one," Sam agreed grudgingly. "Mine wasn't exactly all flowers and unicorns."

"See?" Brittany gasped, pointing an accusing finger at Rachel. "They do exist, Sam proved it!"

"…What?" Rachel stuttered uncharacteristically, looking warily at Santana. "I never said…"

"Anyway," Puck said loudly, quieting everyone. "Back to our destiny."

"Destinies may be many things, but they are not fluid. They can be changed, for they are not yet set in stone. You merely learned about one of many possible destinies. What you do in the coming battle will affect that, for good or bad."

"So, like, Finn might actually get girlfriend?" Olivia asked. "Or Rachel might not become a star? Sorry, Rach."

The diminutive starlet gasped and placed a hand over her heart, looking faint.

Eraqus sighed. "Yes, those things are definite possibilities. When major events or decisions enter your life, your destiny may or may not change." These twelve shared certain bonds with one another, he could see that, but even he was starting to doubt their cohesiveness as a functioning team. They argued and made fun of each other all the time.

Mike and Quinn seemed to be the only ones actively staying out of the rounds of bickering. Speaking of which…

"Michael Chang. You are the final one to be told what may lie ahead for you. You have heard everyone else's, but have yet to hear your own. What do you have to say about this?"

"Honestly, I'm really relieved. I'm now in control of my own destiny. I've always had to be the perfect son to my father, and live up to his expectations. Now, they're my expectations, and I no longer feel like I am a bystander in my own life."

"And Diamond Dust is a relic of that. You've had to harden your own heart and soul in order to live up to everyone else's expectations. I believe that the people in this room have allowed you to soften up your usually frozen demeanor. It seems that your significant other has had a lot to do with it."

"Yes, she has. That's why as soon as I'm strong enough, I'm going back for her."

"Diamond Dust carries with it the possibility of a destiny filled with great success and yet marred by tragedy. Your previous ways will be challenged to their limits, and you will have to learn to fully trust your own decisions and the knowledge of your teammates."

"Do you think I'm ready for it?"

"Now, that is your own decision to make." As the last of the new Wielders stepped from the nexus, a portal coalesced, Kairi and the others running through.

"Are you guys done?" Kairi asked.

"We just finished, why?" Master Eraqus asked as the others as they came tumbling out.

"Cause we have a Heartless coming! This one's power levels are massive and it's heading right for the castle!" Ven shouted.

The Glee kids scrambled to their feet, summoning Keyblades and looking ready to fight.

"Damn, they must really want those newbies out of the game early," Riku swore. "What are they hiding?"

"There's no time for that right now," Eraqus replied, still calm. "We need to protect the castle. Yen Sid, any strategies?"

"The twelve newer ones should gather in three groups of four. They are not strong enough to go out in other, smaller combinations yet."

"Very well then. Santana, Quinn, Olivia, and Brittany are one group. Finn, Sam, Michael and Mike are another. Rachel, Puck, Blaine and Kurt will be the last. Keep well away from this enemy until it has been contained."

"Why can't we fight?" Puck complained.

"Believe us, you'll get your chance soon enough," Sora said. "But this isn't a game. You fail, and you're done. No second chances, no redos."

"Enemy approaching," Aqua yelled. "To the Courtyard!"

"Let's go, and you guys, stay behind," Terra emphasized.

"Let's roll, everybody," Riku drawled.

Eighteen Keyblades hummed with battle energy as they all took off running for the courtyard.

"Like, I said, if you fail, you're done. We can't afford any reckless moves right now." Eyes turned back to Santana.

"Would you quit looking at me? Look at Puck for this."

A huge rumble sounded through out the castle as a massive weight settled itself on the ground. The Wielders opened the doors wide and caught a glimpse of the giant creature.

"Okay Brittany, I believe you now," Rachel whispered. "Unicorns are real."

"Told you," the blonde responded simply.


End file.
